“RESTAURANT REVIEW: More detail would improve already nice Sago”

RESTAURANT REVIEW: More detail would improve already nice Sago

Posted: 06 Jan 2011 11:24 AM PST

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Restaurant: Sago Restaurant

Location: The Palms of Destin Resort & Conference Center, 4201 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin

Telephone: 351-0500

Hours: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5 pm to 9 pm. Lunch, resuming March 2011

Handicap accessibility: good

Children's menu: yes

Reservations: not necessary

Price range: Appetizers, $5 - $7;

Salads, $5 - $15;

Entrees, $7 - $20;

Dessert, $6;

Children's menu, $3 - $7.

Payment: credit cards

DESTIN – While restaurants have been hit hard by the down economy, as some restaurants close, others take their place. That is the case with Sago Restaurant, which is located in the former Trader Vic's space in the Palms of Destin Resort and Conference Center.

The interior at Sago hasn't changed since the Trader Vic's days. It is an attractive room filled with comfortable, curved booths. An outrigger canoe hangs overhead, as does a school of wooden fish. The focal point of the room is the wood-burning oven, which is in a glass front enclosure.

Sago's menu is Asian-themed, with the occasional nod to local cuisine. Appetizers include beef satay, five-spice chicken bites and lacquer-roasted pork ribs. But there were also crawfish-andouille cakes and island spice-dusted calamari fries.

An order of four shrimp dumplings contained generous amounts of shrimp. Their flavor was improved by a soy-ginger dipping sauce. Sweet chili sauce was also served alongside, but tended to overpower the dumplings.

Peking-style duck rolls featured tender slices of duck breast and green onion in small pancakes. Their presentation was in a pool of two sauces. One of the sauces was hoisin, which is essential in Peking duck.

The dish would have been perfect if it had stopped there. But the other sauce was a very spicy pepper sauce. They were too hot to enjoy (and I like spicy food). The menu should have warned that this dish was very spicy, or better yet, put the sauce on the side.

Both of our desserts were also not as described. The warm molten chocolate torte was described as being served with vanilla ice cream and spiced mango compote. The mango was the deciding factor in ordering that dessert, and it was not on the plate.

Likewise, we ordered the grilled banana bread with spiced pineapple and vanilla ice cream. The bread itself was moist and delicious. Unfortunately it was also burned, and was topped with a slice of plain unspiced pineapple that could not be cut with the dessert fork.

We didn't comment to the staff about the desserts since they were already on the house because a thick hoisin-glazed pork chop that had been ordered medium (as recommended) was served well-done and dry. The staff was gracious in dealing with that issue, offering to remake the dish or remove it from the bill, and offering dessert.

Our other entrée was stir-fried koay teow, a dish of wide rice noodles, egg and bean sprouts. It is available as a vegetarian entrée, or with beef tenderloin or shrimp.

We tried the shrimp, and they were large and nicely grilled. The noodles themselves were on the oily side, and would have benefited greatly from the addition of citrus or salt.

Other entrees included prime rib, Asian bouillabaisse, tempura battered soft-shell crab, and steamed filet of sea bass. Departing from the Asian theme, spaghetti with meatballs, and rigatoni with chicken and rapini in bacon alfredo sauce are also offered.

The Sago Salad is a nice mix of lettuces, avocado, orange, mango, jicama and hearts of palm. It was topped with a round of warm fried goat cheese.

Caesar salad and house salad are also on the menu. Shrimp, calamari and chicken can be added to any salad.

A house salad is also offered on the kids' menu. Kids' entrees include burgers, grilled cheese, pizza, hot dog, chicken fingers and spaghetti.

There is a good selection of wines offered by the glass that pair well with the items on the menu. Wines by the bottle are also offered, but the wines by the glass were the best options. There is also a full bar at Sago.

Sago is a pretty restaurant, and the management of the front of the house seems to be interested in diners having a good experience. The descriptions on the menu are mouthwatering. Now the food just needs to live up to what is described.

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